]]>http://www.biteclubeats.com/catellis/feed/8Catelli’s in GeyservilleCatelli’s RavioliCatelli’s BurratalasagnaburgerCatelli’s BurrataslidersaladCatelli’s in GeyservilleCatelli’s RaviolipixonwallKitty Dugan at Catelli’sKitty Dugan at Catelli'sCatelli’s in GeyservilleCatelli’s exterioroldpix2oldpixcrispdesserthoststationbackyardNick and Domenica CatellidddA tavola: Rustic at Francis Ford Coppola Wineryhttp://www.biteclubeats.com/a-tavola-rustic/
http://www.biteclubeats.com/a-tavola-rustic/#commentsThu, 24 Feb 2011 14:43:58 +0000http://www.biteclubeats.com/?p=13684Uncle Enrico pulls his chair up to to the table, smiles that charming half-grin of his and starts singing about the old days in Rome like Sinatra. While the kids all roll their eyes and mom grins knowingly, you can’t help but notice Cousin Giorgio in the background chewing that toothpick like he always does and filling everyone’s glasses with wine. Too bad he’s your cousin. And maybe it’s time to talk with Great Aunt Christine about that sixth martini she’s been nursing.

This is your family. At least for tonight.

Part dinner and part theater, this weekly experience launched in late January at Francis Ford Coppola’s ever-expanding Geyserville winery. Housed in restaurant, Rustic, it’s an experiment in family dining — with the family already built in. Though you may enter a stranger, the whole point of Coppola’s weekly “a tavola” is to leave as part of the famiglia.

How it works: There are no menus, no ordering. A hostess seats you (ours had a martini glass the whole night) and explains the concept. You’re in her kitchen and her family will serve you whatever she’s been cooking. Like any good Italian mama, she’s made a lot — about 20 dishes ranging from steak, pork loin and shrimp scampi to polenta, Caesar salad, green beans, beef ravioli, wild Scottish salmon, sweet sausage and, well, the list just goes on. And most of it tastes like your own Italian grandma made it.

“Family members” drop by the table on a rotating basis to see if you’d like whatever they’re serving up. Yes? However many servings you want are placed on communal plates in the center of the table and your card is noted. $7 a serving for proteins (like steak); $5 for pastas and $3 for sides. You can eat as much or as little as you like. Hint: Pace yourself. A bag of warm zeppole are brought to share when you sit down, and the food parade rarely stops from there.

For the dramatically squeamish, the concept isn’t quite as hokey or embarrassingly interactive as you might expect. As someone who refuses to play charades or engage in any sort of “interactive” theater, I can say with confidence that the cringe factor is low. In fact, it all feels pretty natural.

The staff work hard to stay in character, but also get the joke (Uncle Enrico told us he was working hard on his fake Italian accent). No one pushes it past the comfort zone, instead letting you dictate how much or little you want to engage.

So think of it as your weekly family dinner. Great food, great company, and plenty of wine. And while there isn’t a grocery bag full of foil-wrapped of leftovers, your weird cousin asking for a loan or a trunk of hand-me-downs waiting for you at the door (like your real family) you also get to sneak away without anyone pinching your cheek or telling you to call more often.
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S-bQ8KAZhqc[/youtube]A tavola is held every Tuesday night from 5-9pm at Rustic, in the Francis Ford Coppola Winery. The event is quickly booking up, so reservations are strongly recommended. 300 Via Archimedes, Geyserville, (707) 857-1485.

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]]>http://www.biteclubeats.com/a-tavola-rustic/feed/6server3interiorserver2calimaricheershostessinteriorkeeppolentasaladsalmonserverserver2server3Rustic at Francis Ford Coppola Wineryhttp://www.biteclubeats.com/rustic-at-francis-ford-coppola-winery/
http://www.biteclubeats.com/rustic-at-francis-ford-coppola-winery/#commentsTue, 03 Aug 2010 04:58:32 +0000http://www.biteclubeats.com/?p=11106The creative essence of Francis Ford Coppola swirls around his palatial Geyserville winery like a thick fog. Seeping into every detail, from menu to merchandising, there’s no question the Godfather director is a hands-on kind of guy, with his strong personal likes and dislikes informing into every detail of the massive remodel of the former Chateau Souverain.

That, of course, extends to his the winery’s new restaurant, Rustic, where staff repeatedly chant the mantra, “Francis feels that…” or “Francis wanted…” when asked about everything from ingredients to decor.

A personal project inspired by family recipes and his travels around the world, Coppola’s finally-completed winery restaurant has been well worth the wait. Putting his personal stamp of approval on all the menu items, the not so subtle sub-text of the menu is that these are Coppola’s favorite foods. That, and the fact the whole center of the menu says “Francis’s Favorites” as does the subtitle to the restaurant.

With that kind of personal investment, (staff say he’s been a near-constant presence while the restaurant revs up), you get a pretty healthy whiff of his passion for these dishes, along with personal anecdotes about each of the “favorites”. For example, the Chicken Mattone: “This dish, alternately called chicken under the stone or brick, has become popular lately, but often too tame compared to my favorite version. You have to drive out to a restaurant on the outskirts of Rome about 45 minutes, and call ahead because this is how long it takes to prepare authentically…” and it continues on for several more sentences. Call it food storytelling.

Best Bets: A flood of fans the first week surprised kitchen staff, so all of the “favorites” like the brick chicken Mattone, lemon chicken and short-ribs were long-gone by the time we arrived for a 1pm lunch. Some of the dishes are still in development, as well, like the lamb, which we were told Francis wasn’t quite happy with yet. But there’s still plenty to love on the menu. French fried zucchini ($7) are thin, salty sticks overflowing from the bowl, and fresh mozzarella arrives with several savory zeppole (fried Italian donuts). Pizza Sofia is a girlfriend’s delight, a light, crunchy pizza crust draped with peppery arugula, slices of prosciutto and shavings of fresh parmesan. Caesar salad is in the classic style, with fresh egg yolk, crunchy croutons and strips of anchovy. For dessert, Chocolate Mousse al “Francis Francis” is more of a dense pot de creme, served with a dollop of cream in a teacup ($6).

The drinks: Full wine list with most of Coppola’s wines (both from here and from his Napa Rubicon Estate) along with several other locals. Plus, a full bar with, well, everything else. Top bets include “Navy Grog”, a fruity tropical sipper (Francis’ favorite, natch) and the Dark and Stormy (rum and ginger beer).

The vibe: The space has been transformed from the drab leftovers of what once was Gary Danko’s home turf into a casually luxe Italian bistro. Waiters and floor staff wear Italian-inspired restaurant jackets that are a cross between band major and bellhop, but carry it off in style. A collection of historical Italian olive oil labels line the walls, but you’re here for the view, which inside or out is incredible, looking out for miles over northern Sonoma County vineyards.

Stay tuned for: It’s worth coming back in the fall for two major events. The outdoor pools are in their final stages of construction. The idea is to create a resort-like space (the chateau is an homage to the Godfather, with the exterior mimicking a retro 50’s pool) with private “cabines” for families. Staff tell BiteClub they’re already practicing their parts for the forthcoming a tavola dinners this fall. Meaning “at the table”, the concept is family style dining/dinner theater with staff playing the parts of Italian wives, local marketeers and mongers hawking their wares (in character and costume) through the restaurant serving the audience chef’s choice “small plates”.

At the helm: Chef de cuisine Nick Petrilli formerly of Bottega and Tra Vigne.

While you’re there: Oh yeah, Coppola is of course a working winery as well. The brands here are purposeful everyday sippers, especially when compared to his fancy-pants Napa Rubicon wines. Most familiar are the Diamond series (including the wildly popular claret). The “Sofia” label, named after his daughter are often slightly sweet, delicate and appealing, while the Director’s Cut reds (esp. the big bad zinfandel) are workhorse SoCo wines that rarely disappoint.

Fresh slices of house-cured lardo on top of a wood-fired pizza. Toss on a few tomatoes and you’ll never look at another piece of mushroom and pepperoni quite the same way again. And it’s just one of the devilish pizzas at Dino Bugica’s pizzeria, Diavola.

Diavola Pizzeria and Salumeria a bit of destiny for the former Santi chef who’s made his name as a top salumist in the North Bay. Bugica has a passion for pig — house-curing everything from prosciutto and salumi to his own sausage and lardo right on the property. If you stroll through the back gardens, you might even trip over a pig skull or two, an homage to his porcine pals.

With Santi’s reputation for higher-end Italian secured, Bugica decided to branch out into a simpler “cucina povera” (the simplest of kitchen foods) next door — pizza, antipasti, sandwiches and an entire case of his fresh salumi’s for take-out. It’s just the sort of quick-bite spot that the northernmost end of the Alexander Valley/Dry Creek region was in desperate need of.

Located just steps from the former Santi (now Catelli’s) Diavola’s (which means devilish in Italian) menu includes a selection of
antipasti (a seafood plate with squid, shrimp, mussels and clams; house made burrata; local tomatoes with gorgonzola and a vegetable plate) along with nine wood-fired pizzas that range from a simple zucchini flower and buffalo mozzarella ‘Margherita’ to a Ligurian clam and herb pizza or caper, anchovy and hot pepper pizza. The aptly-named Diavola pizza is topped with N’duja (a spicy Calabrian salami), arugula an Stracchino cheese.

For lunch, there are also salads and pannini, along with a full wine list featuring local and Italian wines.

Prepare for a bit of sticker shock. Prices for pizzas range from $$12.50 to a hefty $17 for the clam pizza — and we’re not talking 16-inchers here. Antipasti, like the house-cured prosciutto and seafood are priced between $12.75 and $14.75. It’s steep for an average pizzeria, but not out of line for the kind of quality and expertise that Bugica should be bringing to the table. I’ve long been a fan of his salumi, and frankly, for lardo pizza, BiteClub would be willing to pay, well, at least $14.